Operations Research

We identify new solutions to transportation problems, on the ground, in the air, or on the sea, transport of people or goods, whatever the mode. We focus on technical solutions, but also on their impact on the system as a whole. We are also interested in the interactions of the transportation systems with the land use, the economy, the environment, etc.

INCORPORATING COMPETITORS’ BEHAVIOR IN DEMAND BASED OPTIMIZATION MODELS

The starting point of this research project is the general framework developed in the SNF research project 200021_165636 entitled “Incorporating advanced behavioral models in mixed integer linear optimization”. The project aims at formulating explicitly the complex interaction between the supply and demand actors. We hypothesize that the decisions of supply actors (such as capacity, assortment, and price) are highly influenced by the decisions of other actors, through competition within the market. In this project, we will therefore explicitly consider multiple operators that compete for the same pool of customers. Each operator will take the supply-side decisions that optimize its performance function (e.g., maximization of revenue). Non-cooperative game theory is commonly used to model such oligopolistic competition. We plan to investigate how to integrate these games in the already developed framework. In this context, the objective will be to analyze the concept of equilibrium, that is, stationary states of the system where no actor has an incentive to change his/her decisions.

Principal investigator

Michel Bierlaire

Project manager

Virginie Lurkin

Sponsor

Swiss National Science Foundation

Period

November 01, 2017-October 31, 2020

Collaborator

Stefano Bortolomiol

LaTeX description

Design of a car-free city center: a fringe parking system with accelerated moving walkways

This project is conducted on a fellowship "The EuroTech Postdoc Programme". A car-free city center is a valuable solution for decreasing traffic congestion and CO2 emissions, and improving active mobility and quality of life. To achieve these goals, one of the biggest challenges is the relocation of parking places scattered in the inner district, which cause cruising for available parking as well as car inflows. A possible solution is a “fringe parking” system, which groups parking into a limited number of spots on the border of the district. However, this may decrease the level of accessibility moving the parking away from the final destinations. The key idea of this research is to use “accelerated moving walkway” (AMW), a novel transport system, in combination with a fringe parking system to design a car-free city center with high accessibility. The goal of the research is to propose and identify the optimal configuration of a fringe parking system with AMWs, as a solution to city centers. The main methodologies are network design optimization and traffic assignment.

Principal investigator

Michel Bierlaire

Project manager

Yuki Oyama

Sponsor

European Commission

Period

October 01, 2018-September 30, 2020

External collaboration

Constantinos Antoniou (TUM)

LaTeX description

Capacity building program in urban mobility and transportation

The purpose of this project is to develop graduate curriculum in urban mobility and transportation. The relevant courses of this curriculum will be available in MOOC format. This program is a collaborative project between Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Urban Transport Systems Laboratory (LUTS) and Transport and Mobility Laboratory (TRANSP-OR) at EPFL.

Principal investigator

Michel Bierlaire

Project managers

Yousef Maknoon, Riccardo Scarinci, Yuki Oyama

Sponsor

State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

Period

September 01, 2016-September 01, 2019

External collaboration

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

External collaboration

LUTS

LaTeX description

Incorporating advanced behavioral models in mixed integer linear optimization

Discrete choice models are used for detailed representation of the "demand". However, their complexity makes mathematical formulations highly non convex in the explanatory variables. On the other hand, Mixed Integer Linear Programs (MILP) are optimization problems with discrete variables that are used in many applications to design and configure the "supply". In this project, we propose a new modeling framework that allows to include any random utility model in a mixed integer optimization formulation. The heterogeneity of demand is captured within the general choice model framework and the offers are tailored in a way that is beneficial for users as wells as providers. The main objective of the project is to obtain a framework that is both general, so that it can be applied in many applications, and operational, so that it can be used in practice.

Principal investigator

Michel Bierlaire

Project manager

Shadi Sharif Azadeh

Sponsor

Swiss National Science Foundation

Period

April 01, 2016-March 31, 2019

Collaborator

Meritxell Pacheco

LaTeX description

TRANS-FORM: Smart transfers through unravelling urban form and travel flow dynamics

TRANS-FORM, a cooperation between universities, industrial partners, public authorities and private operators, will develop, implement and test a data driven decision making tool that will support smart planning, and proactive and adaptive operations. The objective of the project is to better understand transferring dynamics in multi-modal public transport systems and develop insights, strategies and methods to support decision makers in transforming public transport usage to a seamless travel experience by using smart data. The tool will integrate new concepts and methods of behavioral modelling, passenger flow forecasting and network state predictions into real-time operations. TRANS-FORM is funded under the European Commission Horizon 2020 ERA-NET program.

Principal investigator

Michel Bierlaire

Project managers

Shadi Sharif Azadeh, Riccardo Scarinci, Yuki Oyama

Sponsor

The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC)

Period

March 03, 2016-March 03, 2019

Collaborators

Nicholas Molyneaux, Nikola Obrenovic

LaTeX description

Accessibility based optimization of educational infrastructure networks

The aim of this project is to propose a methodology to assess and optimize educational infrastructure networks based on accessibility. In 2014, the World Bank launched the Global Program for Safer Schools (GPSS) with a focus on integrating risk reduction considerations into education infrastructure policies and investments. The GPSS aims to boost and facilitate informed, large-scale investments for the safety and resilience of new and existing school infrastructure at risk from natural hazards, contributing to high-quality learning environments. Understanding accessibility of school infrastructure networks is an important element to optimize risk reduction interventions as well as to improve the quality and efficiency of the educational service. To support this goal, the Transportation and Mobility Laboratory proposes a methodology to assess and optimize educational infrastructure networks based on accessibility; and proposes solutions to improve the performance of educational infrastructure networks. In other words, researchers will evaluate the risks based on the school network, including parameters like transportation network, home location of the students, mobility patterns... They will then provide a methodology in order to help direct investments to reduce the risks in case of disaster.

Principal investigator

Michel Bierlaire

Project manager

Riccardo Scarinci

Sponsor

World Bank

Period

January 01, 2018-December 31, 2018

External collaboration

EPFL-TRACE

LaTeX description